Work feeding device



Feb. 15, 1938.

J. R. TOWNLEY ET AL 2,108,626

WORK FEED ING DEVICE Fil ;ed June 15, 1955 2 sheets sheet 2 Patented Feb. 15, 1938 star WORK FEEDING DEVICE James R.

L. Thomson Mfg.

Tow-nley, Chamois, and Anthony J.- MaunteL-Washington, Mo., assignors to Judson a H 1110., Waltham, Mass, a

corporation of Massachusetts Application June 15, 1935, Serial No. 26,756

Claims.

This invention relates toa work feeding device which, although designed primarily for use in machines for'setting lacing hooks of the gen-- described in United thur R. Havener onNovember 29, 1910, is yet capable of application to various other machines.

In machines of't'ne above character, the work in which the lacing hooks are set is generally fed the required distance between hooks by' the setting tool after each clenching operation. The

tool is provided with a'punch portion and an an- .nular setting shoulder and, afterthe setting operation, the punch'portion remains in the bore of the hook andserves as positive means for feeding the work. v

In lacing studs, however, the bore in the shank or barrel of-the stud does not open out through the body of the stud but is closed at'its inner end, so that, when the machine is used for setting lacing studs, a tool having an annular setting shoulder with a central slightly protruding boss orpilot and no punch portion is substituted in the machine for the hook setting tool. Considerable difiiculty in feeding the work has been experienced in the use of such machines for setting'lacing studs because the central cavity in the clenched end of the stud is so shallow that the setting tool, 'when moved laterally to feed the work, frequently slips out of said cavity and fails to feed the work the required distance in consequence of which the studs are unevenly spaced. This results in defective work which cannot be repaired and is a material loss.

The main objectof the present invention is 'theprovision in machines of the general character described, of means for positively insuring an exact and accurate feeding of the work.

Another object of the invention is the provision adapted to support the work and the other in the form of a clamp to hold the work against the slide. When in clamped position the two members are moved as a unit to feed the work.

-When our invention is applied to a lacing hook but machine, the movements of the two members of the feeding device are preferably controlled by the movements of the setting tool so that when that member descends to efiect the clenching of a lacing stud, the clamp descends to clamp the 345 work and on the lateral movement oi-the setting tool, the clamp and slide are moved in unison therewith to feed the work. At the conclusion of the feeding movement, the setting tool and feed members return to their initial positions, the work meanwhile being held by the usual presser foot.

7 In the accompanying drawings illustrating our invention, Figure l is a front elevation as viewed from the operators seat of a portion of a machine for setting lacing hooks of the general 0011- i115 struction disclosed in the patent hereinbeforereferred to and shown as having applied thereto a work feeding mechanism constructed and adapted to be operated in accordance with our invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, looking from left to right, in Figure 1, of the central portion of the parts shown in said figure;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view on line 3-3 in Figure 1, looking downwardly; and 1.25

Fig. i is a vertical sectional view on line #4 inFisB. v

In the drawings, the parts shown of the machine of said patent are, for the sake of clearness, given the same reference numerals as in said patent.

Referring to thoseparts of the machine of the patent hereinbefore referred to which are shown V in the drawings, Eii indicatesthe frame ofthe machine and 21 a work support made in two parts 29 and 3E). The part 36 of the work support 21 is a plate which is fastened in position by screws and extends around and abuts against the upper portion of the part 29 to form a flat surface upon which the work is placed. The work is clamped 40 to the work support by means of a presser foot 35 adjustabiy fastened to the upper end of a rod ti and means (not shown) is provided for raising the presser foot during the operation of the machine to permit the work to be fed. Treadle operated' means (not shown) is also provided which permits the operator to raise the presser foot for inserting or removing work. I s

In place of the usual punch for setting lacing hooks which is shown in the said patent, we show 0 a setting member without the punch portion which. is adapted. for setting lacing studs. This tool comprises a setting or clenching shoulder =49 formed upon the lower end of a stud 58, against Which shoulder the shank of the lacing stud .55

strikes to clench the same during the setting operation. The stud 5G is screw threaded into a slide 52 mounted for horizontal reciprocation to feed the work upon tubes 53, 53, which are fastened to a plunger 54 which, in turn, is arranged for vertical reciprocation in bearings 55 in the frame 20 to move the stud 50 into and out of setting position.

A sliding movement is imparted to the slide 52 from a rock shaft (not shown) through a link 12 pivotally connected at one end to said slide and at its other end mounted on a pin 14 fastened in a yoked arm i6 which in turn is fastened to said rock shaft.

A die plate 97 provided with a hole 98 is designed to cooperate with a punch when it is substituted for the setting tool 50, which die plate is fastened to a slide 99 adapted to be reciprocated at the proper time into and out of alignment with the punch by a lever H30 pivoted to the frame 26 at I83 and connected by a link N34 to a lacing hook or lacing stud carrier slide (not shown) mounted for reciprocation.

The lacing studs are fed from a hopper (not shown) into a raceway ill? and thence pushed through an auxiliary raceway H 4 onto a lacing stud carrier plate H8 by means of a lever H1. The lacing hook carrier I includes a lever I27 having fastened to its upper end the carrier plate H6.

For a fuller description of the parts of said machine and the mode of operation of the machine, reference may be made to the said patent hereinbefore mentioned.

The work feeding device of our invention comprises a slide 2% adapted to support the work and mounted for horizontal reciprocation and a clamp 2M mounted for vertical reciprocation into and out of a position of clamping the work to said slide. In applying a device constructed in accordance with our invention to a machine of the patent referred to, the Work support 29 is recessed longitudinally and in the direction of the feed of the: work to form a guideway 204 in which is slidably mounted the slide 205. This member is of rectangular form having a longitudinal centrally located channel or groove 295 opening out both ends of the slide to accommodate the portions of the lacing studs which pro- J'ect downwardly from the front face of the work.

The clamp 20! is provided with a stem 25'! slidably mounted in a cylindrical housing 238 provided with a closed but bored end through which projects a pin 209 set in the upper end of the stem. The projecting end of the pin 269 is threaded to receive a nut 2H! and a set nut 2H for limiting the downward movement of the clamp in its housing and a helical spring 292 mounted on the pin 269 within the housing 298 and under compression forces the clamp downwardly yet permits it to yield to exert a resilient pressure on the work when in clamping position. That portion of the stem 28? adjacent the clamp 2M may be enlarged at 2M, thus providing an annular shoulder at its upper end adapted to engage the lower end of the housing 2% to limit the upward movement of the clamp in the housmg.

For imparting the appropriate movements to the clamp to engage the work and feed it, the clamp is mounted to move with the slide 52, which has both a vertical and a horizontal reciprocation. Any suitable means may be provided for this purpose and one such means is shown comprising a yoke bracket 2E6 which is approximately U-shaped, and is fastened in a sidewise position to the slide 52. For this purpose, the upper arm 2|! of the bracket is provided with a hole in its end so that it may be mounted upon the setting tool 55 and fastened in fixed position to the lower portion of the slide 52 by a nut 2|8 threaded on the setting tool 50. The upper arm 2|! is curved so that the head of the bracket is located back of the work support and its lower arm 2l9 is turned in under the Work support and is bored to fit slidably a depending stud 220 (Fig. 4) having a threaded portion 22[ which is screwed into the bottom of the slide 200, the work support being provided with a slot 223 to permit movement of the stud with the slide 2533. The stud may be provided with a collar portion 225 adapted to engage the under surface of the work support to hold the slide within the guideway 204.

The clamping member is mounted in the upper arm of the bracket adjacent the setting tool, the bracket being bored to receive the cylindrical housing 208 which is held therein in adjusted position by two nuts 22'! and 228, threaded on the outer surface of the opposite faces of said arm Preferably,

housing, which engage the bracket is made of two rightangled parts held together by two screws 23!] threaded into one of said parts, the other of said parts being provided with slots 23! permitting the space between the two arms of the bracket to be varied within certain limits.

The operation of our device is as follows: In the operation of the machine, the presser foot is raised to permit insertion of the work face down and when it has been properly positioned on the work support, the presser foot is dropped. The starting of the machine then causes the slide 52 and setting tool 50 to move downwardly and the lacing stud carrier to move upwardly carrying a lacing stud which has been presented to it from the raceway and the shank of the stud is forced through the work and clenched upon the wrong side of the work by the clenching shoulder on the setting tool. The setting too] then releases slightly and the slide 52 is reciprocated to the left, as shown in Figure 1, to feed the work.

When the slide moves downwardly to bring the setting tool in clenching position, the clamping member is carried downwardly with the bracket and the clamp Z IH engages the work to clamp it to the face portions of the slide on both sides of the channel, the pressing face of the clamp being of suflicient width to overlap these portions. The

clamp is so adjusted as to engage the work just before the setting tool reaches clenching position so that further downward movement of the clenching tool results in the spring backing up, the clamp being slightly compressed so that the clamp exerts a resilient pressure on the work to In this downward the bracket moves set in the bottom clamp it to the slide 260. movement, the lower arm of downwardly on the stud 220 of the slide.

When the slide 52' is moved to the left, the clamp 26! and the slide 208 are moved as a unit the required distance to feed the work, the presser foot during this operation being in a raised position for releasing the work. At the end of the feeding movement, the presser foot automatically descends and holds the work and the slide 52 moves upwardly withdrawing the setting tool and the clamp from the work and then moves to the right to the initial starting position.

Although we have shown our feeding device as being used on a machine for setting lacing studs, it may be found of value for feeding the work when that machine is used with a tool having a punch portion for setting lacing hooks, especially Where the work in which the lacing hooks are being set is of very thin material. Our device is not to be limited, however, to use in machines of the character described, because it is susceptible of use in various other machines where an accurate feed is desired without subjecting the material to the possibility of stretching. It is also to be understood that our invention is not to be limited to the form of construction herein shown and described, since it may be embodied in other forms within the scope of the following claims.

What we claim is:-

l. A device of the character described comprising a work supporting slide, a yoke bracket, a clamp mounted in said bracket, said bracket being slidably connected at one end to said slide, and means for moving said bracket vertically to apply said clamp to the work on said slide and then horizontally to move said clamp and said slide in unison to feed the work.

2. A device of the character described comprising a work supporting slide, a yoke bracket, a clamp mounted in said bracket, said bracket being connected at its lower end to said slide permitting relative movement between the two in a vertical direction, and means for moving said bracket vertically to apply said clamp to the work on said slide and then horizontally to move said clamp and said slide in unison to feed the work.

3. A device of the character described comprising a work supporting slide, a yoke bracket, a resilient clamp mounted in said bracket, said bracket being slidably connected at one end to said slide, and means for moving said bracket vertically to apply said clamp to the work on said slide and thenv horizontally to move said clamp and said slide in unison to feed the work.

4:. A device of the character described comprising a work-supporting slide provided with a vertical stud and mounted for horizontal reciprocation, a clamp-carrying member, said member having one end slidably mounted on said stud permitting relative movement between said member and said slide in a vertical direction but not in a horizontal direction, a clamp mounted on said member and means for moving said member vertically to apply said clamp to work on said slide and then horizontally to move said clamp and said slide in unison to feed the work.

5. The combination of a tool-carrying member mounted for vertical and horizontal reciprocation, a work-supporting slide mounted for hori.

zontal reciprocation, a clamp-carrying member fastened to said tool-carrying member for movement therewith, said clamp-carrying member being so connected to said slide as to permit relative movement between said clamp-carrying member and said slide in a vertical direction but not in a horizontal direction, a clamp mounted on said clamp-carrying member and means for moving said tool-carrying member vertically to apply said clamp to work on said slide and then horizontally to move said clamp and said slide in unison to feed the work.

6. The combination with a tool-carrying memher mounted for vertical and horizontal reciprocation, a tool carried by said member and means for moving said member vertically to cause said tool to operate on the work, and then horizontally, of a work-supporting slide mounted for horizontal reciprocation, a clamp-carrying member fastened to said tool-carrying member for movement therewith, said clamp-carrying member being so connected to said slide as to permit relative movement between said clamp-carrying member and said slide in a vertical direction but not in a horizontal direction, a clamp mounted on said clamp-carrying member for clamping the work to said slide when said tool-carrying mem ber is moved downwardly to cause said tool to operate upon the Work, said clamp and said slide being adapted to move in unison to feed the work when said tool-carrying member is moved horizontally.

7. The combination with a tool-carrying member mounted for vertical and horizontal reciprocation, a tool carried by said member and means for moving said member vertically to cause said tool to operate on the work, and then horizontal- 1y, of a work-supporting slide mounted for horizontal reciprocation, a yoke bracket fastened to said tool-carrying member for movement therewith, said yoke bracket being so connected to said slide as to permit relative movement between said bracket and said slide in a vertical direction but not in a horizontal direction, a clamp mounted on said bracket for clamping the work to said slide when said tool-carrying member is moved downwardly to cause said tool to operate upon the work, said clamp and said slide being adapted to move in unison to feed the work when said tool-carrying member is moved horizontally.

8. The combination of a tool-carrying member mounted for vertical and horizontal reciprocation, a work-supporting slide mounted for hor-.

izontal reciprocation only, means mounted on said member for moving said slide horizontally in unison with the horizontal movement of said member and means carried by said slide-moving means for clamping work to said slide when said member is moved downwardly.

9. The combination of a tool-carrying member mounted for Vertical and horizontal reciprocation, a worksupporting slide mounted for horizontal reciprocation only, said slide having a longitudinal groove to accommodate projecting portions of the work, means mounted on said member for moving said slide horizontally in unison with the horizontal movement of said member and a spring-pressed clamp for clamping work to said slide when said member is moved downwardly.

10. The combination of a tool-carrying member mounted for vertical and horizontal reciprocation, a tool mounted in said member, a worksupporting slide mounted for horizontal reciprocation only, means mounted on said member and slidably connected to said slide for moving said slide horizontally in unison with the horizontal movement of said member, and a clamp carried by said slide-moving means in advance of said tool forclamping work to said slide when said memher is moved downwardly.

JAMES R. TOWNLEY. ANTHONY J. MAUNTEL. 

